for nelson mandela, it was another day in the life of nelson mandela. he's meeting people who are so inspired by him and taken with what he has achieved, and all he does is make you feel comfortable, like you are the important one. >> it's good. tilt it down. >> the reflection. the portrait metaphor of "the man in the mirror" is a metaphor for south africa. his spirit. what he represents is in every single one of the people here. for the portrait it was strong for me that we needed to reflect upon ourselves about what nelson mandela had achieved, and nelson mandela's life. i think given access to shoot that portrait was a life-changing experience for the whole group. we were all very nervous. i photographed him a few times before, but not a proper portrait sitting. there's an intimacy to that. i looked up. all the crew were crying. the 2012 birthday shoot was a special shoot. sending that intimate time with the family and madeba. the family adore him and cherish the time they had with him. for many of the family they lost him for 27 years. to have this

nelson mandela married a gain.he bride was graca mandela, a union celebrated by all. >> my wife and i. >> a union that lasted for the rest of his life. >> my wife and i say thank you very much. >> but before he died there was a chance for the world to thank him. on a chilly winter's night nelson mandela made a last appearance at an event. acknowledging the crowd and stirring hearts as the world cup football final was held for the first time in africa. staging a number of miles away from the sow wetto home where nelson mandela lived. in recent times there was a fleeting sight of ambulances carrying him to and from hospital. a chest infection diagnosed when he was in prison continuing to reoccur. the images were broadcast on state television, a grinning jacob zuma visiting his presidential predecessor, unaware of what was going on around him. the only visible reaction to the flash of a camera as nelson mandela was thrown into the public domain. the images come and go. this will be left behind, the colours of a democr

of the wife of nelson mandela. maxine waters was one of the people that spread nelson mandela's message in the united states. during the 1980s she staged sit-ins at the south african consulate to protest against apartheid. years later she was in south africa to see him sworn in as president. good to see you. thank you for seeing us. >> i'm dlit. it's a sad moment. we must honour the life and the work of nelson mandela always. >> you were an influential leader during the antiapartheid movement. how are you inspired by nelson mandela's work in south africa? >> well, you know, i thought about this. it takes me back to a time when i saw a movie called cry the beloved country. i think that's where my interest was piqued. as the story came out about nelson mandela, and the a&c organised to fight against apartheid, i got interested and involved. i started to read and keep up with everything and share it with my colleagues. when i was in the californian state of assembly, to divest all pension funds from businesses doing b

until the last breath nelson mandela fought the odds as he had done all his life. >> nelson mandela's legacy were emblazoned in the sky all those years ago. above all the legacy is found in the minds of ordinary south africans, black and whid, the people he led to freedom. >> jessie duarte was nelson mandela's special assistant. she told us what it was like working with him. >> we had a good working relationship. madiba was a strict employee, but strict in the sense of much more strict on himself. he was punk tul -- punk tulle. he had great ideas about meeting people. he needed to meet the people of south africa and talk to them about the future and where we needed to go. he spent a great deal of time talking to the people at home and engaging as he did with many african leaders to talk about un iteming the countryman. madiba's greatest wish was to reunite the african continent and believes we should un item the people of south africa. in many ways he was a symbol of freedom in progress. on a personal note, you know that he's gone, but will live on in the hearts of many people. i was

he was 95 years old. >> and ray brown reporting on the life of nelson mandela. earlier i spoke with the contributor to time magazine, who interviewed mandela on a number of occasions. she shared her experiences with us. was a really great interview because at least when he came out of jail, he did not have the consciousness of how big a figure he was globally. he knew it abstractly, but he had not traveled yet. learning bylf accident on a midnight flight one day when he was on his way from johannesburg to negotiate the transition in the government, and he was gracious person in interesting the sense he was trying to come to terms with how he was going to put the country on a better democratic path. it was not easy. he was somewhat exhausted as well. he was overwhelmed when he came out of jail, and it did take some time not only for him to find his footing as a leader but also to try to bring together his base, which was deeply the whole concept of reconciliation and forgiveness and everything that mandela stood for. there.an walt's speaking nearly 20 years ago, n

nelson mandela was only 30. he soon became convinces peaceful demonstrations would never be enough to uproot the oppressive racist structure, so he helped form and run an armed guerilla movement. a campaign of bombings and sabotage against government targets in the early 60's, led to his arrest and prosecution, along with others in the movement. convicted by spared a death sentence, mandela would spend more than a quarter of a century, 27 years behind prison walls. 18 of those at the notorious robin island. through repression, and the violence focus the attention of the world on s racism.depth of south boycottability a the economy became the most famous prisoner in the world. the powerful international condemnation, and growing domestic unrest chipped away atar par tide until finally mandela was released from prison. it was february 11th, 1990, the streets flowed with joy. vowing never to go back to what he called the black held of apartheid. i have spoken about in my lifetime. your brothers, your commitment, an

what role did nelson mandela play on the world stage? >> it was unique. you look around the world today, and absent of the kind leaders and al statesmen that mandela represented. if people like gorbachev, yu and others in singapore. but he did not just capture the imagination of the country and the continent, but of the entire world in thinking about prospects of hope. there are people who have things like that on all sides of the political spectrum. but none really walked and talked the way that mandela did. his legacy in south africa will be unmatched of that of anyone we can think about. >> we are awaiting president obama. he is set to give a statement on the death of nelson mandela from the white house. what impacts has nelson mandela had on u.s. president politics? >> two things. first of all, i did want to make a point, which in south africa, there is actually going to be a lot of impact here. he a.n.c. has elections coming up, and they have had a hard time of it. the economy has had a difficult time. the a.n.c. has never gotten since 2% of the vote

sharing her memories of nelson mandela. but first, the words of mandela himself on the day of his release after 27 years in prison. >> i have fought against white domination. [ cheers ] >> and i have fought against black domination. [ cheers ] >> i have cherished the idea of a democrat ic and fair society n which all persons live together in harmony. life with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps end our night before it even starts? what if i eat the wrong thing? what if? what if i suddenly have to go? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisadvocates.com to connect with a patient advocate from abbvie for one-to-one support and education. where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. usin

[applause] >> if any of you heard nelson mandela, you sounded just like nelson mandela. it was frightening. notice the great portrait of nelson mandela behind me at the top of the staircase. i will be lobbying soon to replace that with a more current photograph. san francisco is indeed blessed and has been for many, many years. and then somebody comes along and enhances that even more. and only one time has somebody been four times a cabinet member, closest thing we will ever have to a president is the chief of protocol's secretary. charlotte is the chief of protocol, george scultz is her secretary. so on her stairs, in this rotunda, charlotte will present to you her husband and secretary, george schultz. [applause] >> thank you charlotte for that brilliant introduction. we're here to mourn and celebrate the life of nelson mandela. i have on a dark suit and a bright tie to symbolize those sentiments. what did we make of his life? in reflection and thinking about it, he was a man of action he fought continuously, effectively, and as his effects grew, his african national

this is nelson mandela released from prison after 27 years. almost 20 of those year at robin island, brutal captivity. he was amazing, because shortly after, donna brazile, as you're watching this video of mandela leaving that prison and beginning a political, i guess, a revolution in south africa, a peaceful revolution, so many people thought it would be brutal and violent. because of this man, it was peaceful. >> he said if you want to make peace with the enemy, you have to work with the enemy. you have to become a partner. he believed in reconciliation. he also believed that the nation itself could draw strength from seeing him work with president declerk. so mac denna became a symbol of hope to bring that divided nation, you know, together at a time when most people didn't think it could. >> so many people will want to go to south africa, donna, to pay their personal respects. i assume over these next ten days of the official memorial, if you will, and they've plotted out certain steps every single day they will be taking to remember nelson

nelson mandela passing away at the age of 95. clearly the president affected by the loss of a great man. he drew inspiration from mandela, a man of courage and compassion belongs to the ages. rev represent sharpton, your thoughts. >> i think the president made a very effective statement. he hit it on the head when he talked about the first political activity he ever engaged in was the fight against apartheid around nelson mandela and the fight for the freedom in south africa. i think many people, i grew up in the civil rights movement in the north, but the first foreign policy move that i can think of, i was too young to fight in vietnam. it was around south africa. with the president's statement, that brought home to all of us where the fight was in our own lives which was why the death of nelson mandela even though he is 95, it's so personal to millions that you will see over the next days and weeks and months to come. we all were deeply touched by what he represented. we were touched personally. this just wasn't something going

and the chance and the love and the joy and the full ecstasy in that hallway as we walked to nelson mandeland winnie mandela. it is not about the breath that we take but the moments that take our breath away, those precious memories. thise relieved -- relived countless times. when i remember this i get joy, unspeakable. i started friendships with two iconic americans, and my life and work have been greatly influenced and enriched by their friendship. with nelson mandela, i did not have a conversation with him, but i did get a handshake and a hug. what can be more inspiring for a 25-year-old african-american male wanting to make a meaningful contribution to society? this has meant more to me than words could ever express. as nelson mandela was dancing with mortality, we were asked to keep them in our prayers and now that he is gone, we will continue to do that and give thanks for his courage and his commitment to justice for all, service to others, and a love that liberates people. i want to close by saying that the choices he made, and the life that he lived remind us all that we have to gi

nelson mandela was the face of reconciliation and a new beginning for south africa. brian is the human rights attorney in south africa part of the movement prior to his release from prison in 1991. reflected on the role he played once he was released. it was a time celebrated around the world. inside south africa, it was a precarious time. >> immediate contribution was to reach out and speak about reconciliation. >> i cherish the idea of south africa where all south africans are equal. >> far right wing politicians are prodding them. mandela convinced the supporters it would render africa a wasteland. >> being able to reach out to people and somehow connect humanity with theirs. and disarm, largely, his political opponents. >> while there was post apar tide violence, mandela was the right man at the right time. now with the face of the movement gone, there is an eye toward a future rooted in mandela's past. a future in the hands of young people like these college students in washington for the south afr

nelson mandela, nelson mandela.his song is one of the most accurate descriptions of this icon, the founding -- democratic south africa. the old separation movement in the continent. his passing meant an unprecedented outpouring across the world. yet this administration, admiration and celebration. everyone has had a nelson mandela moment. let us begin before by thinkian all heads of state international delegations, we extend our deepest gratitude to for the message for condolences that we continue to receive. be nelson mandela family, south african people and the african continent feels stronger today because we are being completed by millions throughout the world. .. the people and their leaders in an effort to halt the forward march, ordinary forms of organizations would be rendered impossible, but the spirit of the people cannot be quenched until victory is won. the cycle became much about life. and the rest has changed. in the 1940s, the long walk to freedom, it became a volunteer in chief during the campaign in

nelson mandela, first black south african president. but nelson mandela was on the u.s. terrorist list until 2008. extraordinary. >> absolutely. and to some extent, it's a little dismaying, you know, at a personal level, i feel somewhat nausiated, to be blunt about it, by the level of hypocrisy of some leaders who are lauding nelson mandela today and in the days since his death who were against the poll says that he stood for and are trying to whitewash his legacy to brush over the fact that he was a freedom fighter and believed in redistribution of wealth and land particularly. that he showed a great deal of solidarity with the palestine cause; that he vehemently opposed the war in iraq; that he stood by the cast roes and cubans. we are looking at hamid karzai from afghanistan. he is arriving, talking about the spread of his reach and word. some people might find controversial. >> he was one of the elders, and we saw them arriving. what sort of impact have they made? i think they have taken the message of nelson mandela to heard. if you look at the kind of work that peo

and the national african congress and nelson mandela tried to fight this oppression in various ways. sometimes through violent struggle. they would try non-violence. they were met with incredible violence. it was intense and incredible. so what mandela forgave is something that is almost indescribable for many. this is what came after the generation of vietnam. then you had the fight against vietnam. but for a lot of people, particularly in the 1980s, it was this. it was the fight against apartheid in south africa that galvanized a lot of african-americans. >> i asked the last word staff today for a show of hands of how many personally remember apartheid and very few hands went up. i was at your class at columbia, and i can tell with your students, they don't remember apartheid. they're all too young to remember apartheid. what do columbia students and students everywhere need to know about it? >> they need to know a few things. in some ways apartheid in south africa and in the united states are the major places that ended up being democracies in the world we're actually the most simi

>> nelson mandela changed the culture. orientation from noecelson mandela was from father in the congo on the african of africa to get their birthright and from pop stars to sports celebrities, you had the whole world in the way you never saw it before. he and his movement broke the binary code of cold war thinking to get almost the entire world -- sadly, not the united states government for a long time, but to agree on the moral repug nans. >> imagine if there hadn't been a nelson mandela. it's strange to think about. south africa would certainly be a different country. i think it would be a different world. he was such a giant of the 20th century that i think the 21st century simply would not be the same without nelson mandela. >> the way he used all of the different layers of his experience, beginning with growing up in a little village on a dirt floor, he used his law school experience, his educated man experience and there's a wonderful quote in his au autobiography where he talks about consensus building and used his

and on february 11th, 1990, nelson mandela emerged. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> nelson mandelaaks after 27 years. >> progress and fellow south africans i greet you all in the name of peace. democratic and freedom for all. i stand here before you not as a profit, but as a humble servant for you, the people. >> after 27 years in prison, when nelson mandela was released, he led the negotiations for the anc for the end of apartheid and apartheid was dismentaled. in 1994, nelson mandela was elected the first president of south africa in the first election ever held in that country where all adult citizens were welcome to vote regardless of race. in voting that took three days, april 27th is now a national holiday in south africa. it's called freedom day. and when it came time to sign the new constitution for south africa, which eliminated all vestiges of law by race, president nelson mandela went to sharpville to sign the constitution. today, nelson mandela died at home. his family says it was his wish to be buried in the town that he was born. joining us now is congressman lewis. t

it quickly gathered pace ♪ free nelson mandela ♪ 21 years in captivity >> reporter: and nelson mandelaame the most famous political prisoner on the planet. within months of his release he was holding peace talks and then in 1994 with apartheid abollished nelson mandela became president himself after south africa's first all race elections. >> i have fought very firmly against white domination. i have fought very firmly against black domination. i cherish the idea of the new south africa where all south africans are equal. >> reporter: nelson mandela served just one five year term but remained perhaps the most influential figure in south african politics. certainly the most loved for what he went through, the dignity he displayed, and the change he brought about. but typically for him, mandela gave all the credit to his fellow citizens. >> south africa pass the generations, but it is you, the people, who are the true heros. >> serving one term but very influential. our senior foreign correspondence. i'm being told he is not available right now. we do have a live reporter there on the sc

the ban was lifted and on february 1990, nelson mandela walked to freedom. >> i ask you all in the name>> 27 years in prison had not weakened mandela's resolve. >> it will go on as long as the government has not responded to us. >> reporter: but he also urged restraint, even forgiveness, telling blacks to quote throw their guns into the sea and reassuring anxious whites. >> whites are citizens and we want them to feel safe. >> mandela's courage and sacrifice were recognized around the world. in america, he was welcomed as a hero. mandela and declerc were awarded the nobel peace prize in 1993. the following year, in the first mixed race elections in south africa's history, nelson mandela was elected president. >> today is a day like no other before us. >> we were the first to interview him on that first morning as president-elect. mandela tempered south africa's joy when he said healing his country would take time. >> it cannot be done overnight. it will take a year, two years, even as much as five years. [ applause [ applause ] >> from enemy of the state to head of state, nelson mandela

nelson mandela was only 30. he soon became convinced peaceful demonstrations would never be enough to uproot the structure, so he helped form and run an armed grill ha movement. a campaign of bombings in materially 60's, led to his arrest along with others in the movement. convicted by spare as death sentence, he would send more than a quarter of a century, 27 years behind prison walls. 18 of those at the notorious robin island. the pump condemnation, and growing domestic unrest chipped away at apartheid until finally mandela was released from prison. it was february 11th, 1990, the streets flowed with joy. vowing never to go back about what he called the black held of apartheid. >> your commitment, and your discipline, has lift me to stand before you today. but freedom wasn't easy. negotiating to reform the government, had to play peace keeper, trying to temper escalating violence between his party and supporters of the freedom party, who wanted no part of negotiations with the government that had held them dow

some of the staff members of the nelson mandela foundation have served nelson mandela for over 20 years. it's encouraging to them to see how they have pulled together in the last ten days. we're hoping that we at the nelson mandela foundation together with the other two legacy institutions, nelson mandela children's fund and the mandela house foundation will help keep the legacy alive. >> reporter: we've had much talk of the legacy over this mourning period. what is the tangible legacy that you all see through organizations like yours? >> you look at madiba loved children, for example, and the work of the nelson mandela children's fund, it's important that we support their work to ensure that the children are treated well, that we don't have stories of children that are raped. that we have stories of children that go missing. those things then get reduced. in terms of the mandela foundation, there's issues of leadership in the continent. if we can have a change in terms of how the continent leads, where leaders stay forever, we can then have the legacy of mandela. then in the nelson man

let's hear from daniel who is in the cuban capitol havana, one of the places nelson mandela headed foris release from prison. >> that's right, and i think the news of his death has a big impact here. president castro spoke expressing his sympathy with mandela's family, talking about the great ties there have been between the two countries. after castro came to power, he expressed unity with nelson mandela and supported the anti-apartheid campaign with cuba sending troops fighting against the apartheid troops -- the troops sent from the apartheid south africa. and nelson mandela after his release from prison, thanked fidel castro for that support, saying it was fundamental to weakening the regime. he came to visit fizzle castro soon afterwards. and i think there was also a very personal bond between the two apparent when you look at the old video of the two men together. there seemed to be a mutual respect expressed. very strongly felt here in cuba. flags at half mast and official day of mourning to mark his death. >> daniel thanks indeed. >>> loads of social media reaction to the death

nelson mandela would do that. you couldn't help but smile when you saw him doing that little chicken wing movement with his arms. many times in africa, people laugh and sing and dance through their sadness and their sorrow. these are people celebrating nelson mandela's life. if you didn't know this was a funeral, he would not know this was a funeral. they are in a stadium. a lot of cheering. people are very happy on this particular day to give what they call the old man a long good-bye. we are in the process of a ten-day funeral service for nelson mandela. >> you always hope at a time like this, that this will somehow cause a recognition of the possibilities of south africa that nelson mandela dreamed of. >> people will tell you there is still work to do in south africa. everyone knows there is still work to do. we will see it remains to be seen what will happen after the death of nelson mandela in this country. bill whittaker is inside the stadium. i know the weather is very dreary. a friend says, that's why we h

nelson mandela, mr.a new south africa. >> reporter: it was a long walk nelson mandela took, a walk that lasted nearly a century, a walk to freedom and human dignity. a walk he ended up taking the whole world on along with him. >> on behalf of our rainbow nation, i welcome you all. >> reporter: nelson mandela towered over them. a moral and political leader of surpassing strength, implacable determination, and profound decency. >> i am a product of africa. and the long-cherished dream of a rebirth that can now be realized. so that all of our children may play in the sun. >> reporter: mandela was born in 1918 into the royal family of the tembu people, but he grew up under apartheid, the vicious system of racial segregation and oppression by which the white minority ruled south africa. it's hard today to imagine the pure evil of that system. abject poverty for blacks and severe restrictions on travel, education and employment. whites enjoyed all of the power and riches in this rich country. mandela's trouble

now millions are mourning nelson mandela. h of the human spirit in south africa and beyond. john and diana? >> karen, mandela clear hero to president obama. will he be traveling to south africa for the memorial? >> no trip has been announced yet by the white house but it seems likely the president and possibly first lady would go over for the services when they happen over the next week or two. the president was so candid yesterday speaking about the influence that nelson mandela had in his life. he said he could not imagine living his life without the example that nelson mandela set. >> tell us more about president obama's last trip to south africa and when he first met mandela as a senator. >> reporter: president obama was in south africa in june. nelson mandela was very sick at that point. the white house said out of respect for him and his family they were not going to have the obamas go and meet him. instead, he took his wife and daughters to nelson mandela's cell on robben island. he said it was a privilege and honor to

long lived the spirit of nelson mandela. long live the spirit of nelson mandela. madiba mandela. viva! thank you very much. to the president, and the pretty president -- >>> we welcome you back to our live continuing coverage of this memorial for nelson mandela. reached the noon hour here. 5:00 a.m. east coast time in the united states on a very t unpleasant day weatherwise. heavy rain, lots of it, increasing winds. most of the dignitaries you will see are, a, behind bullet-proof glass, b, a layer of glass separates them from the crowd behind them, but importantly, they are also covered from the rain, though. in fairness, some of it a falling close to sideways. in the v.i.p. section, as the formerer leader of south africa apparently e joys a piece of gum, you'll see people from all over the world, and the patchwork of politics is very much a part of this day. the official ceremony is getting under way, even though we don't yet i have in attendance, for example, all of the u.s. presidents, all of the official invited guests. we can report traffic is fairly well bottled up. there's

it says nelson mandela, 1918-2013. he changed our world.nding here next to this gentleman for a reason. he is the in-house cultural director and tour guide for the apollo. you were here when nelson mandela visited in 1990. what was that like? >> i was so blessed to be a part of the hundreds of thousands of people that were here to welcome nelson mandela to harlem. it was a very emotional time for me. a very spiritual -- it felt like a spiritual time. >> he felt a connection here. i live in the neighborhood. there are many africans, a place they call little africa not far from here. >> on 116th street between madison, they have little african shops, african restaurants, african culture. litz africa. >> and he was surprised to see so many south africans living here. >> that's troofl he saw so many black people here. harlem is the central of black culture and he knew where he was at. he knew exactly where a lot of the people he wanted to see were. >> thank you very much. and they're here right now. they have marquis there contemplating whether

we'll have much more coming up on the passing of nelson mandela. next, tom brokaw who covered mandela's long fight for freedom will be with us next with his thoughts. and later, some of the day's other news including a big and dangerous weather system moving across our country as the news marches on. >> reporter: that's a live picture of the marquee at harlem theater tonight where they quickly changed the lettering outside in remembrance of nelson mandela after the word started to spread today about his death at age 95. as we're joining in the studio by tom brokaw. when you look at the legacy of nelson mandela, you're fortunate so much of it happened on your watch. i was thinking of our trip in '94 to cover his eventual election as president. but mostly american viewers were glued to the live coverage in 1990, the long walk to freedom. >> well, i got a call of mine from the south african government saying i need you on your way. he called back and said get on the airplane. went there, didn't look like they were going to release him. remember, we ha

let's move on and continue to tell you about the reaction to the passing of nelson mandela. g us is one man who understands the south african leader's saifice. he spent six years imprisoned on robben island with mr. mandela. he later established the nelson mandela foundation. he joins us now on the line from johannesburg. you heard us have the conversation that mr. mandela had been sick for such a long time. but that hadn't lessened the shock for some and certainly the great sad inside at his passing. tell me what went through your mind when you heard he had died. >> it was a very sad, i knew that mr. mandela was in poor health, for some reason, i expected him to live longer. i don't joined all the people around the world at his passing. >> yeah. as we told our view ertz, i were imprisoned on robben island with him. you are one of the few that saw him and knew of his time, while incarcerated. share us your memories of him during that time. >> the odd thing is that when i met him for the first time, this was in 1987, i didn't recognize that i was reaching mr. mandela. i though

we told me, so was everyone else to interview nelson mandela. street from winnie mandela's home in soweto, and there we were with our binoculars, sitting there. he is here yement. he isn't here yet. which one of us will be invited to come over and do the interview? dan rather was over there. in fact i know dan well. dan beat me. he was there first. i was there second. >> this is abc news "nightline," reporting from south africa. >> second maybe. >> tonight we have only one s s guest. nelson mandela. >> first to come to earth on the broadcast, the opening question went not to politics race or the future but to sports. >> he was surprised the other night with tyson? >> yes, very much surprised. i took it for granted that he would win. >> so did he. >> you went right to the boxing question. >> i did. >> what was your plan? >> i want to hit him with a question he really wasn't expecting. >> did you ever think of turning pro, turning professionally? >> no, never did. >> you were a good boxer? >> well i do not know. that its for others to say. >> nels

the ban on the anc was lifted, and on february 11th, 1990 nelson mandela walked to freedom. >> nelsondela, free at last and back among his people. >> i thank you all in the name of peace. >> reporter: 27 years in prison had not weakened mandela's resolve. >> as long as the government has not -- >> reporter: but he also urged restraint, even forgiveness telling blacks to "throw their guns into the sea" and reassuring anxious whites. >> we want them to feel safe. >> reporter: mandela's courage and sacrifice were recognized around the world. in america he was welcomed as a hero. mandela and declerk were awarded the nobel peace prize in 1993. the following year in the first mixed race election in south africa's history, nelson mandela was elected president. >> today is the day like no other before it. >> reporter: we were the first to interview him on that first morning as president-elect. mandela tempered south africa's joy when he said healing his country would take time. >> it cannot be done overnight. it will take one year, two years, even as much as five years. >> reporter: from enem

it was once used as a springbird by then president nelson mandela to try to develop a united post south africa. mandela appreciated the impact sports was capable of and a premier home event held in his homeland was just the vehicle he needed. in 2009, a hollywood production of "invictus" was presented by clint eastwood to inspire change by rugby. >> this is a story about a man who went his own way even though a lot of people advised him against it and were objected to his getting involved with using a sport to kind of bring about reunification and it worked. it workled. it's a wonderful moment in south african history. >> reporter: the movie stars matt damon who plays francois piinaar. freeman believes since that 1995 tournament the nation has gone from strength to strength. >> i think what they learned on that day was that together they could do anything. if they pull together there was nothing they couldn't do. the entire country so happy having pulled that off because mandela resorted everyone to pull for the team to be one country, one nation, one team, one nation, one team, one nat

how did you come to know nelson mandela? >> good morning, and how wonderful it is to speak with you. mr. mandela was an anc member, actually one of the founders of the african national union. african national congress i was married to a south african freedom fighter was a member of the pac, pan-african congress. they were archrivals. mr. mandela came to egypt where i was living and i had been so used to these rivals arguing and shouting in the living room and in the streets against each other. there was also southwest africa national organization. when mr. mandela came he never had a crossword to say to anyone. i was amazed. i had never seen south africans who were that kind. he had a consummate to give to everybody including my housekeeper and the doorman, it was amazing. a gentle giant he was. >> schieffer: you know, you have written a wonderful poem celebrating his life and his passing. the state department has put it out on a video, i want to ask you about it, how it came about. let me play just a short clip of the beginn

nelson mandela today. [applause] naacp expresses deep condolences. we all feel a great loss of a great leader like mr. mandela. you know, when he began his movement with the nac we felt like it was a model that the naacp had set forth. we were right there arm in arm with him to try to end the discrimination. now, his life that he strived for liberation of african nations, challenged the dignity of the african people and endeavored to advance all african countries, and move forward with the world. he was an op to mist, kept his head pointed towards the sun, his feet moving forward. he never gave into despair during his many dark days. we consider nelson mandela the founding father of south africa's democratic nation. he created a south africa founded on a sound civil human rights principles for all. he was confident in his call for one person, one vote for all people everywhere regardless of race, creed, color, sexual orientation. he felt that one vote was the most powerful thing they could do to turn the power over to all the people in south africa. h

and prisoners of robben island, with nelson mandela. his family. then he went in, as you see, alone to spend time of reflection alone in the place where mandela spent 17 years of the 27 years that he was a prisoner. and i can tell you, no question at all that the president was incredibly moved by that and came out and spoke about what it meant to his children, how he wanted his daughters to learn from mandela. but really an incredible moment of that trip, that tour of robben island. >> there's been so many firsts for this first african-american president. we saw the picture of barack obama, president obama looking out the window. that small window that nelson mandela had from his cell in robben island. it brought me back to the moment of his first inauguration where he paused before he walked out and looked over the multiitudes gathering for -- multitudes gathering for the inauguration of the president. he does seem to take hold of these moments. >> reporter: it's an incredible moment, but hue trees iing -- b he's trying to embrace it. s

former president jimmy carter reflects on the life and legacy of nelson mandela. >> that spirit of nelsondela is embedded deeply in the heart and soul of the south africans... >> they worked side by side for freedom, now president carter talks about mandela's global impact. a revealing interview you won't see anywhere else. >> i've never heard him say, that he was grateful to the united states... >> talk to al jazeera with jimmy carter only on al jazeera america >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream. >> welcome back. i'm ray suarez, and this is itsel "inside story."

but he studied nelson mandela's writings and works. said the first political action was to attend an anti-apartheid rally. the president toured mandela's cell on robin island after he took office. and mrs. obama, michelle obama, along with her daughters, sasha and malia, they visited mandela, reading a book with him. and also talking with him. obviously, mandela, south africa's first black president, a huge inspiration to the u.s.'s first black president and his family. >> tahman bradley, live in washington for us this morning. >>> you heard tahman reference that memorial service that will be held in a football stadium. it's part of a logistical nightmare south african officials are facing. >> it's likely that most of the living u.s. presidents will travel to south africa. dozens of other dignitaries will attend. the event is being likened to organizing a world cup, plus a coronation and inauguration at the same time. >> bill clinton was in power when nellman mandela took power. we will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compa

amen. ♪ nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandelamadiba ♪ >> lester holt, this is coming after some of the organized prayers. a little musical interlude. >> and we'll soon be hearing from the friend and family of nelson mandela here. and you see that picture right there captures so much. people of every color who have come to represent what we call the new south africa here, a true tribute to mandela as you look across this crowd here that has withstood a steady light to moderate rain all morning long. we've also been watching, of course, brian, a collection of dignitaries, and you can't really overstate the complexity of the operation of getting the celebrities, the politicians, the world leaders in here safely. the south africans said they have been studying a plan for quite some time and have been working with their counterparts in the u.s. and other countries to get everyone here safely. we were on that issue of security, we were able to get in today without screening. the crowd then were bussed in. they may have been screened at

the ban was lifted and on february 11th, 1990, nelson mandela walked to freedom. >> nelson mandela, free, and back among his people. >> i greet you all in the name of peace. >> reporter: 27 years in prison had not weakened mandela's resolve. >> the struggle will go on as long as the government has not responded to our satisfaction. >> reporter: but he also urged restraint, even forgiveness, telling blacks to, quote, throw their guns into the sea and reassuring anxious whites. >> whites are fellow south africans and we want them to feel safe. >> reporter: mandela's courage and sacrifice were recognized around the world. in america, he was welcomed as a hero. mandela and de klerk were awarded the nobel peace prize in 1993p. the following year in the first mixed race election in south africa's history nelson mandela was elected president. >> today is a day like no other before it. >> reporter: we were the first to interview him on that first morning as president elect. mandela tempered south africa's joy when he said healing his country would take time. >> it cannot be done overnight. it is

there, that was nelson mandela, his grandson. >> must be difficult to be nelson mandela's grandson, as we talk about what comes next. he's a dignified young man talking about what comes next. living in the shadow of nelson mande mandela. >> absolutely. behind me is one of the grandson's compounds. while nelson mandela was dying he tried to move bodies between here and qunu, where we see the burial hatch. there's a lot of ugliness. what people are looking for from the mandelas, winnie, nelson mandela's widow is leadership. is someone to come up, whether it's jacob zuma, the president or someone from the family, they are looking for someone to inspire them. jacob zuma said, "we need more nelson mandelas, more people to sacrifices, have the fall use. we need to keep doing that. a lot question whether jacob zuma is doing that. the notion is here, that okay we've buried tata, their father, therefore what is next. what is the next generation going to do, what can we get next. what is the economic freedom we have been looking for. there's huge questions and it's fascinating to know where it

> thanks to nelson mandela. >> thanks to nelson mandela's south africa's fight is kept inside.ing. >> it's changed, all the fighting. >> right here, the equipment that nelson mandela would have used. >> out back a security guard showed me equipment nelson mandela would have used. mem bris -- memories of a boxer who showed a different fight. is >> and michael is here with sport. i didn't realise nelson mandela was a boxer. >> a good boxer. >> let's turn to the nfl. adrian peterson, minnesota vikings, was carted off the field with an ankle injury after a tackle by arthur brown. he won the vible player award. he was questionable to play due to a groin injury. he was the leader with 1200 and 8 yards. history made in park city utah. the united states had all three podiums in a world cup world cup bob sled event. el-lana my exercise aja evans took home gold, jaumie grooubel and lol low jones tie toed silver. both of those are track competitors. >> one of the four medals won by jesse owens at the 1936 olympics in berlin sold for $1.46 million - the highest praise paid for a piece of m

he met nelson mandela shooting his film 12 disciples of nelson mandela. well, it is a pleasure to talk to you, what are your moments at this hour? >> well, deeply saddened with this great man, he stood for so much. and his vision was so powerful. all the years and also -- becoming president and giving up the power. >> the power -. >> and i think it is so t for our people. >> and we have such a great loss. >> hang on, i know you want to echo this point. it was a big deal. >> yeah. and stepping down may have been his biggest legacy. and -- about 80% of them stayed on about nine terms too long. >> we were just talking about zimbabwe. >> when he came on, he held a lot of prompt, nelson -- look, he was an older guy, he put in his time 27 years at rob been island and being president. the fact that he moved on, there are nobody who perfect what has happened in south africa, and that his successors lived up to his mantle, but at least he had successors. >> yeah, i would agree. you know he -- when nelson mandela was went underground after sharkville, the south afr

that's how president obama refers to nelson mandela. at a meeting here in washington, d.c. when obama was still a freshman senator from illinois. yesterday he spoke out about mande mandela's impact on his life. >> the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. >> joining me now is rick strength am. he collaborated on the ought buy all offy of nelson mandela. and also the author of mandela's ways on life, love and courage. thanks for joining us. the president will be heading over to south africa to pay his respects and america ago respects to nelson mandela. what should we be paying attention to? >> wolf, i think every world leader, including president obama wants to borrow a little bit from the halo of nelson mandela. but in the case of president obama, knicksed-race president, a man whose fare was from the continent of south africa, i think

we will not see another nelson mandela. it's not likely in our life time. tle mandela in us and become better people in the spirit of nelson mandela. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. up next is a special edition of "hardball." an exclusive interview with president obama. >>> tonight, we bring you to my interview with president barack obama. we present it against the backdrop of the passing of his personal hero nelson mandela. an event which msnbc will be covering for the rest of the evening. i have covered two great world events in my career. one was the fall of the berlin wall in 1989. the other was the first democratic election in south africa five years later. i was there when the country's black majority voted by the millions waiting in lines that stretched from one

abraham lincoln, the great emancipator, stand with nelson mandela, the liberator. >> nelson mandela himself recalled a visit to london 45 years earlier. close when we visited , weminster abby in 1962 joked that we hoped that one day a statue of a black .resident would be erected here [applause] back months later, he was in london to celebrate his 90th birthday. he met the queen. he attended a concert in his honor. speaking at the lectern carrying his number, he called for no let up in the battle against poverty and aids. >> after nearly 90 years of your hands time for to lift the burdens. .t is in your hands now i thank you. [applause] that was a sense of the determination and the strength and the energy of a campaign that spanned six decades. really underlining what a remarkable life he led. close we're used to the story. it is at a time like this where you cannot reflect on what he achieved and to recognize those milestones in his life. three decades in prison and how that transformed him, not just as a man but as a leader. obviously, he was south africa's first black president and the wa

that's the measure of nelson mandela. >> pelley: bob simon, "60 minutes" correspondent. you'll have a piece on mandela on "60 minutes" this sunday. bob, thanks for joining us tonight. and there's another important story tonight. we got the best jobs report in five years. the unemployment rate fell three tenths of a point last month to 7%. the economy created 203,000 jobs. that news helped wall street snap a five-session losing streak. the dow finished the day with a gain of nearly 200 points. here's anthony mason. >> reporter: in a warehouse in louisville, kentucky, this week, bob marie know addressed his employees, many of them new seasonal hires. >> look at the jobs we've created, look at the faces we have here. >> reporter: marie know is c.e.o. of cafe press, a company that makes custom goods like mugs, t-shirts and clocks. with business growing, he's needed to increase his seasonal work force by as much as 20%. >> this year we're gonna be hiring 700 to 800 folks and that augment it is crew of about 450 that we have here year round. >> reporter: for three of the last f

there was the zulu that was also quite violent toward the group from nelson mandela's ethnic group. it was tension across society. >> even within mandela's own family. his former wife winnie mandela, often was called for supporting violence and mandela often expressed displeasure with that. >> he did. in a remarkable interview, however, he said, look, people are free to choose their routes, their particular methods of response. he made clear that the oppressor will determine how the oppressor responds. when asked about his affiliations or his affiliations with people that took up violence or armed struggle. he said, look that depends upon the method of response. the method of response depends on what the oppressor does. at the same time he was critical of the necklaces, of the violence opposed. he said this replicates the violence done to us in the name of apartheid and white supremacy. why don't we move beyond white and black supremacy and find the core of democratic reaction to the country around us? >> you see the picture of him and his wife winnie on their wedding day. a great lo